Five Way-Too-Early Fantasy Football Tight End Breakouts For 2026

Young players have quickly made a name for themselves at the position in recent years.

Feb. 28, 2026 at 4:55pm

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The tight end position has become less valuable in fantasy football in recent seasons, but we're seeing more young tight ends making an impact. This article lists five players who could turn into the best draft bargains or who will reach their fantasy ceiling at the tight end position in 2026.

Why it matters

A rookie tight end has either led the position in fantasy points or finished in the top four in each of the past four years, decreasing the number of true breakout candidates in an already thin position for fantasy managers.

The details

The five tight end breakout candidates for 2026 are: Colston Loveland of the Bears, Tyler Warren of the Colts, Harold Fannin Jr. of the Browns, Tucker Kraft of the Packers, and Oronde Gadsden of the Chargers. These players showed flashes of fantasy potential as rookies and are poised to take the next step in their development.

  • The 2026 NFL season is set to kick off in September 2026.

The players

Colston Loveland

A tight end for the Chicago Bears who had a strong finish to his rookie season, scoring a combined 46.5 fantasy points over his final two games.

Tyler Warren

A tight end for the Indianapolis Colts who finished as the TE4 in fantasy as a rookie, but could push to become a 14-plus point-per-game player during his second NFL campaign.

Harold Fannin Jr.

A tight end for the Cleveland Browns who finished sixth in fantasy points among tight ends as a rookie, but could push to the level of a Brock Bowers in the stat sheets with David Njoku expected to leave as a free agent.

Tucker Kraft

A tight end for the Green Bay Packers who was well on his way to breaking out last season before tearing his ACL, but is expected to be ready for Week 1 and resume his rise to stardom.

Oronde Gadsden

A tight end for the Los Angeles Chargers who showed flashes of fantasy potential as a rookie, posting 10-plus points six times, and could see more targets if Keenan Allen departs in free agency.

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The takeaway

The tight end position has become less valuable in fantasy football in recent seasons, but we're seeing more young players at the position quickly make a name for themselves. These five tight end breakout candidates for 2026 could provide fantasy managers with valuable draft bargains and high-ceiling options at a thin position.